A Fort Campbell family may have come down with mumps, and U.S. Army Public Health officials are investigating and notifying those who may have been exposed.

“Blanchfield Army Community Hospital sent lab results to the Tennessee Department of Health to determine if the case is mumps positive and have started notifying people who may have been exposed as a precautionary measure to limit possible exposure,” said Maj. Simone Edwards, chief of Public Health Nursing at Blanchfield Army Community Hospital, in a news release.

One of the children in that family attends an elementary school on post, and parents are being notified. Each family will receive a letter and a fact sheet with symptoms to look for and measures to take if a case is suspected, the release said.

“Mumps is a self-limited and mild disease caused by a virus," Edwards said. "It typically starts with a few days of fever, headache, muscle aches, tiredness, and loss of appetite, followed by swollen salivary glands. Most people who get mumps recover completely in a few weeks, but it is highly contagious among the unvaccinated and in close-quarters, so we feel it’s best to take preventive measures as we await the test results from the state health department."

Mumps: How to prevent it

From Jan. 1 to March 30, 2018, 39 states and the District of Columbia in the U.S. reported mumps infections in 633 people to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.(Photo: CDC)

Edwards said it may take a few days to get the results back and confirm there was mumps exposure. If the lab results are positive, Army officials will work with state and local officials to track the health of those who may have been exposed.

Mumps can be prevented through the MMR vaccine, typically administered during well-baby check-ups at 12 to 15 months of age, and again during school-age immunizations at 4 to 6 years of age, the release said.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, high vaccination
coverage helps to limit the size, duration and spread of outbreaks.

People who experience mumps-like symptoms including fever, puffy cheeks, swollen face or jaw that may be painful, muscle aches, loss of appetite and tiredness should contact their primary care manager for an appointment and limit their exposure to others.

When visiting a medical facility, an individual exhibiting symptoms of mumps should wear a face mask that covers the nose and mouth and inform medical personnel so they may be separated from other patients to limit the spread of the virus.